The Dollmaker s Daughter at Christmas

It’s hard to think straight when you’re holding on for dear life. Tess was behind the wheel, driving us to her parent’s cottage in the Lakes – although her driving had always left a lot to be desired.

The snow had gone from a light drizzle to huge flakes, making the visibility of the road ahead even more haphazard. Tess was driving like she was a Raleigh driver, although she was more like a wonky figure skater at the local ice rink.

“Tell me again why we’re doing this,” I spoke, gripping onto my seat with white knuckles.

“It’s tradition!” Tess cheered, weaving the steering wheel backwards and forwards.

“No, it’s not,” I mumbled.

“It is!” she insisted, shooting me a shocked expression.

It hadn’t been ‘tradition’ in years. Ever since we’d gone to university, and our lives had split off in different directions, it hadn’t been anything of a ‘tradition’. Now, all of a sudden, this annoying ritual that our parents had conjured up, many moons ago, seemed to have been cranked up again. I’d rather have been at home with a hot chocolate and trashy TV, than dicing with death on a snow-riddled country lane.

Every now and then, Tess would start singing along to the Christmas songs that were obliviously emanating out of the car radio, making the backdrop of this death ride even more bizarre.

“Would you please just watch the road,” I pleaded, wondering how easy it would be for me to open the car door and roll out onto the road – should the worst happen.

Interrupting the incessant noise of the music which didn’t fit the occasion, Tess’s phone starting ringing, and I wondered whether it was the emergency services, checking up to see whether we needed them yet.

“There’s Bluetooth in this car,” Tess mumbled, searching for how to answer while unhelpfully not looking at the road.

“Here,” I butted in, grabbing her phone. “I’ll answer it. You drive.”

With a smile from Tess, I grabbed her phone and picking up the call, I immediately switched it to speakerphone – there was no way she was taking it from me and putting it to her ear.

“Hi, Emma! It’s Georgina! Is Tess with you?”